Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019

Albania participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 in Tel Aviv, Israel, with the song "Ktheju tokës" performed by Jonida Maliqi. Its selected entry was chosen through the national selection competition Festivali i Këngës organised by Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH) in December 2018.

Eurovision Song Contest 2019
Country Albania
National selection
Selection processFestivali i Këngës 57
Selection date(s)Semi-finals:
20 December 2018
21 December 2018
Final:
22 December 2018
Selected entrantJonida Maliqi
Selected song"Ktheju tokës"
Selected songwriter(s)Eriona Rushiti
Finals performance
Semi-final resultQualified (9th, 96 points)
Final result17th, 90 points
Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest
◄2018 • 2019 • 2020►

Background
Main article: Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest

Prior to the 2020 contest, Albania had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest sixteen times since its first entry in 2004.[1] Albania's first entry was performed by Anjeza Shahini who performed "The Image of You" and finished in seventh place, Albania's second-highest placing to date. Albania's best result thus far was in 2012, with Rona Nishliu placing fifth with "Suus". Albania qualified for the grand final in 2018, with Eugent Bushpepa finishing in eleventh place with "Mall".[2]

Before Eurovision

Festivali i Këngës

Competing entries

The national broadcaster of Albania, Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH), organised the 57th of Festivali i Këngës to select their entrant for the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 in Tel Aviv, Israel. It consisted of two semi-finals on 20 and 21 December, and the grand final on 22 December 2019. It was the sixteenth time, in which, the competition determined Albania's representative for the contest. The country had previously confirmed its participation in the contest in September 2018.[3] The broadcaster opened a submission period between 16 May and 30 June 2018 for artists and composers to participate in Festivali i Këngës.[4] The list of competing artists and songs eventually were revealed on 17 October 2018.[5][6]

Artist[5] Song[5] Composer(s) Lyricist(s)
Alar Band "Dashuria nuk mjafton" Elgit Doda Klea Huta
Artemisa Mithi & Febi Shkurti "Dua ta besoj" Febi Shkurti
Aurel Thëllimi "Të dua ty" Ardita Bufaj and Aurel Thëllimi Aurel Thëllimi
Bojken Lako "Jeto jetën" Bojken Lako Xhevdet Bajraj
Bruno Pollogati "Nuk ka stop" Bruno Pollogati Endrit Mumajesi
Dilan Reka "Karma" Gridi Kraja Florian Zykaj
Eliza Hoxha "Peng" Eliza Hoxha
Elona Islamaj "Në këtë botë kalimtarë" Elona Islamaj
Elton Deda "Qetësisht" Elton Deda
Eranda Libohova "100 pyetje" Genti Myftaraj Pandi Laço
Gjergj Leka "Një ditë tjetër" Gjergj Leka
Jonida Maliqi "Ktheju tokës" Eriona Rushiti
Kelly "A më ndjen" Kelly
Klinti Çollaku "Me jetë" Endrit Shani Pandi Laço
Klodiana Vata "Mbrëmje e pafund" Edmond Zhulali Jorgo Papingji
Kujtim Prodani "Babela" Kujtim Prodani
Lidia Lufi "Rrëfehem" Enis Mullaj Lidia Lufi
Lorela Sejdini "Vetmi" Lorela Sejdini
Marko Strazimiri and Imbro "Leyla" Adrian Hila
Mirud "Nënë" Elhaida Dani Durim Morina
Orgesa Zaimi "Hije" Gentian Lako
Soni Malaj "Më e fortë" Irkenc Hyka Lindon Berisha
Vikena Kamenica [lower-alpha 1] "Natën e mirë" Vikena Kamenica

    Shows
    Semi-finals

    The contest featured a change with the two semi-finals: all the acts would perform twice in the semi-finals. During the first semi-final, on 20 December 2018, the competing artists traditionally performed with the Symphonic orchestra, while in the second semi-final, on 21 December 2018, they performed the final version of their entries.

      Finalist

    Final

    The grand final took place on 22 December 2018 and was broadcast at 20:45 (CET).[9][10] Fourteen songs competed and the winner was determined by the combination of the votes from a nine-member jury panel. Each member of the jury voted by assigning scores from 10–20, 22, 25 and 30 points to their preferred songs. The jury was composed of Agim Krajka, Arta Marku, Dorian Çene, Haig Zacharian, Olsa Toqi, Pali Kuke, Rona Nishliu, Rovena Dilo and Shpëtim Kushta.

    Final – 22 December 2018
    Draw Artist Song Points Result
    1
    [lower-alpha 2]    		 Marko Strazimiri and Imbro "Leyla" 142 8
    2
    		 Gjergj Leka "Një ditë tjetër" 131 10
    3
    		 Elton Deda "Qetësisht" 156 7
    4
    [lower-alpha 3]    		 Eranda Libohova "100 pyetje" 181 3
    5
    		 Jonida Maliqi "Ktheju tokës" 228 1
    6
    		 Eliza Hoxha "Peng" 127 11
    7
    		 Orgesa Zaimi "Hije" 121 13
    8
    		 Bojken Lako "Jeto jetën" 138 9
    9
    		 Soni Malaj "Më e fortë" 166 5
    10
    		 Artemisa Mithi and Febi Shkurti "Dua ta besoj" 113 14
    11
    		 Dilan Reka "Karma" 169 4
    12
    		 Alar Band "Dashuria nuk mjafton" 124 12
    13
    		 Lidia Lufi "Rrëfehem" 219 2
    14
    		 Klinti Çollaku "Me jetë" 163 6

    Promotion

    An accompanying music video for "Ktheju tokës" premiered on the official YouTube channel of the Eurovision Song Contest on 10 March 2019.[11] Apart from the music video, Jonida Maliqi traveled to the Banias Nature Reserve at the Mount Hermon in Israel to film her introductory postcard.[12] In the postcard, she is seen dressed in a 1950s style while walking through her surroundings. She is then joined by four female dancers on the edge of a waterfall, where they perform an interpretive dance choreography.[13][14] For promotional purposes, the singer embarked on a small tour with live performances at various Eurovision Song Contest-related events, including in Amsterdam, London and Madrid.[15][16][17]

    At Eurovision

    The Eurovision Song Contest 2019 took place at the Expo Tel Aviv in Tel Aviv, Israel, and consisted of two semi-finals held on 14 and 16 May, and the grand final on 18 May 2019.[18] According to the Eurovision rules, each participating country, except the host country and the "Big 5", consisting of France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom, were required to qualify from one of the two semi-finals to compete for the grand final, although, the top ten countries from the respective semi-final progress to the grand final.[19] The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) split up the competing countries into six different pots based on voting patterns from previous contests, with countries with favourable voting histories put into the same pot. On 28 January 2019, a special allocation draw was held which placed each country into one of the two semi-finals, as well as which half of the show they would perform in.[20] Albania was placed into the second semi-final, to be held on 16 May 2019, and was scheduled to perform in the second half of the show.[20]

    Once all the competing songs for the 2019 contest had been released, the running order for the semi-finals was decided by the contests producers rather than through another draw, so that similar songs were not placed next to each other: Albania was set to perform in position fourteen.

    Semi-finals

    In the second semi-final, Albania performed fourteenth following Russia and preceding Norway.[21] At the end of the show, the country was announced among the top 10 entries in the second semi-final and therefore qualified to compete in the grand final.[22] It was later revealed that Albania placed ninth in the semi-final, receiving a total of 96 points: 58 points from the televoting and 38 points from the juries.[23]

    Voting

    Voting during the three shows involved each country awarding two sets of points from 1-8, 10 and 12: one from their professional jury and the other from televoting. Each nation's jury consisted of five music industry professionals who are citizens of the country they represent, with their names published before the contest to ensure transparency. This jury judged each entry based on: vocal capacity; the stage performance; the song's composition and originality; and the overall impression by the act. In addition, no member of a national jury was permitted to be related in any way to any of the competing acts in such a way that they cannot vote impartially and independently. The individual rankings of each jury member as well as the nation's televoting results will be released shortly after the grand final.[24]

    Points awarded to Albania
    Points awarded to Albania (Semi-final 2)
    Televote
    12 points 10 points 8 points 7 points 6 points
    5 points 4 points 3 points 2 points 1 point
    Jury
    12 points 10 points 8 points 7 points 6 points
    5 points 4 points 3 points 2 points 1 point
    Points awarded to Albania (final)
    Televote
    12 points 10 points 8 points 7 points 6 points
    5 points 4 points 3 points 2 points 1 point
    Jury
    12 points 10 points 8 points 7 points 6 points
    5 points 4 points 3 points 2 points 1 point

    Points awarded by Albania

    Split voting results

    The following five members comprised the Albanian jury:[24]

    • Dilan Reka – singer
    • Eranda Libohova – singer
    • Gent Rushi – Chairperson – pedagogue, jazz musician
    • Julka Gramo – singer, moderator, entertainer
    • Vikena Kamenica – mezzo-soprano
    Split voting results from Albania (Semi-final 2)
    Draw Country Jury Televote
    G. Rushi E. Libohova D. Reka J. Gramo V. Kamenica Average Rank Points Rank Points
    01 Armenia10141417121414
    02 Ireland11111313131215
    03 Moldova1259958313
    04  Switzerland667476556
    05 Latvia17161515151716
    06 Romania14131110171312
    07 Denmark15121271111101
    08 Sweden285364774
    09 Austria31010121010117
    10 Croatia7761189283
    11 Malta833645611
    12 Lithuania16171614141665
    13 Russia914833892
    14 Albania
    15 Norway131517161615112
    16 Netherlands4985974210
    17 North Macedonia1221111238
    18 Azerbaijan5412221047
    Split voting results from Albania (final)
    Draw Country Jury Televote
    G. Rushi E. Libohova D. Reka J. Gramo V. Kamenica Average Rank Points Rank Points
    01 Malta18121115161711
    02 Albania
    03 Czech Republic1018248171624
    04 Germany71715991217
    05 Russia1277125101112
    06 Denmark6191911181421
    07 San Marino252525242525210
    08 North Macedonia2564111256
    09 Sweden114132125613
    10 Slovenia8132014131518
    11 Cyprus22333104715
    12 Netherlands15881041147
    13 Greece141421147492
    14 Israel219919111312
    15 Norway13152120201965
    16 United Kingdom11161413191820
    17 Iceland23231725242322
    18 Estonia20211816222216
    19 Belarus16201622232125
    20 Azerbaijan942183883
    21 France31010768319
    22 Italy565576538
    23 Serbia17242318152023
    24  Switzerland19216321074
    25 Australia4111217292101
    26 Spain24222223212414

    OGAE Second Chance Contest 2019

    In the OGAE Second Chance Contest 2019 Albania was represented by the singer Mirud and his song Nënë. At the end of the voting, Albania finished 15th out of 24 with 36 points. Albania gave 12 points to the band Il Volo and their song "Musica Che Resta" representing Italy

    Points awarded to Albania
    Points awarded to Albania
    12 points 10 points 8 points 7 points 6 points
    5 points 4 points 3 points 2 points 1 point

    Points awarded by Albania

    Notes
    1. On 3 December 2018, RTSH announced that Vikena Kamenica would withdraw from the 57th edition of Festivali i Këngës due to scheduling issues.[7] Artemisa Mithi and Febi Shkurti eventually replaced Kamenica.
    2. Due to technical issues during the performance, Marko Strazimiri & Imbro had to perform again after all the performances.
    3. Due to technical issues during the performance, Eranda Libohova had to perform again after all the performances.

    References
    1. "Albania–Eurovision Song Contest". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 18 March 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
    2. "Lisbon 2018: Grand Final–Scoreboard". eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
    3. Jiandani, Sanjay (Sergio) (17 September 2018). "Albania: RTSH confirms participation in Eurovision 2019". ESCToday. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
    4. "Njoftim – Festivali i 57-të i Këngës në RTSH" (in Albanian). RTSH. 16 May 2018. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
    5. "Shpallet lista me këngët konkuruese në Festivalin e 57-të të Këngës në RTSH" (in Albanian). RTSH. 17 October 2018. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
    6. Adams, William Lee (17 October 2018). "Albania: Festivali i Këngës 57 reveals 22 acts and song titles ahead of December 22 final". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
    7. "Vikena Kamenica nuk do të jetë pjesë e Festivalit të 57-te në RTSH" (in Albanian). RTSH. 3 December 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
    8. "Ja renditja e këngëve në natën e parë të Fest' 57" (in Albanian). RTSH. 5 December 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
    9. "Nis finalja e Fest '57" (in Albanian). RTSH. 22 December 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
    10. Knoops, Roy (22 December 2018). "Watch now: Grand Final of Festivali i Këngës 57 in Albania". ESCToday. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
    11. "Jonida Maliqi - Ktheju tokës - Albania 🇦🇱 - Official Music Video - Eurovision 2019". European Broadcasting Union. 10 March 2019. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
    12. "Kartolina e veçantë e përgatitur për prezantimin e Shqipërisë në "Eurovision 2019"" (in Albanian). Telegrafi. 18 May 2019. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
    13. "Postcard of Jonida Maliqi from Albania 🇦🇱 | Official Postcard". YouTube. 17 May 2019. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
    14. Stephens, Heidi; Holmes, Oliver (19 May 2019). "Eurovision 2019: all the songs and action – as it happened". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
    15. Dee, Daphne (12 April 2019). "Albania's Jonida Maliqi: "The song is personal to me, my sister also left Albania"". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
    16. Halpin, Chris (10 April 2019). "London Eurovision Party 2019: What are your questions for the stars?". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
    17. Escudero, Victor M. (25 April 2019). "This was PrePartyES 2019 in Madrid". European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
    18. "Eurovision Song Contest–Tel Aviv 2019". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 12 August 2019. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
    19. "Eurovision Song Contest–Rules". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 8 April 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
    20. Zwart, Josianne; Groot, Evert (28 January 2019). "Eurovision 2019: Which country takes part in which Semi-Final?". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 3 August 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
    21. Groot, Evert (2 April 2019). "Exclusive: This is the Eurovision 2019 Semi-Final running order!". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 7 July 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
    22. Royston, Benny (16 May 2019). "Second Semi-Final: Last 10 acts qualify for Eurovision 2019 Grand Final". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 3 January 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
    23. "Tel Aviv 2019: Second Semi-Final Scoreboard". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 12 August 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
    24. Groot, Evert (30 April 2019). "Exclusive: These are the judges who will vote in Eurovision 2019!". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 1 August 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
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